National Geographic Orion
IAATO Category 1 (101–200 guests) — full Category 1 site access via two-group shore & Zodiac rotations
Prices are captured from operator websites and may change — the operator's site is authoritative. Captured Sep 7, 2026 06:13 UTC.
Itinerary and landing sites are indicative and subject to change based on weather, sea ice, and wildlife conditions.
Arrive in Puerto Natales. Originally a small fishing port, the town is nestled on the Last Hope Sound and boasts a stunning view of the sea surrounded by the Cerro Benitez Mountains—the gateway to Torres del Paine. Transfer from the airport to your hotel, where you'll enjoy dinner and attend a briefing on the following day’s activities. Ask your expedition specialist about joining an immersive 5-day pre-voyage extension to explore Torres del Paine National Park, an incredible UNESCO biosphere reserve. Arrival Time: Arrive to the hotel in Puerto Natales by 3:00 p.m. local time. Arrival City: Puerto Natales, Chile
Following breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport for your two-hour direct flight to King George Island in Antarctica, where you'll begin your Antarctic adventure. Home to a diverse assortment of wildlife, King George Island also has a human presence. Researchers from a wide range of countries, including the U.S., Chile, Argentina and Brazil, call the various stations home. Your flight will land on a gravel runway at the Chilean research station. You will then be transferred to the rocky shoreline, where you will board Zodiacs to embark on the ship and set sail as you begin exploring this amazing region.
With long hours of daylight at this time of year, you'll have ample opportunities to explore. The schedule is flexible, allowing you to take advantage of the unexpected, whether you’re watching whales at play off the bow of the ship, hiking alongside penguin highways or enjoying an evening Zodiac cruise amid porpoising penguins. While wildlife is magnificent, ice defines the Antarctic. You’ll get to know ice up close and personal—from icebergs the size of islands, bergy bits and near-vertical glaciers, to the fragile, nearly invisible layers that have just begun to freeze. One day, you might set out by kayak to encounter towering icebergs at water level; embark on a Zodiac excursion in search of seals and blue-eyed shags; or walk amid thousands of Adélie and gentoo penguins. The next, you might experience the thrill of the ship crunching through pack ice. Everywhere you go in Antarctica, you'll be surrounded by opportunities to capture uniquely beautiful images. Along the way your expert expedition team will enrich every experience.
This morning, the ship will be moored off of King George Island once again. Following disembarkation and Zodiac rides to shore, your flight departs the White Continent and returns to Puerto Natales where you overnight at your hotel.
Check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport to begin your journey homeward. Departure Time: Outbound flights from Puerto Natales should depart no earlier than 1:00 p.m. local time (or as late in the day as possible). Departure City: Puerto Natales, Chile
Granite Spires • Chilean Fjords & Glacial Steppe
Rite of Passage • Albatross Alley
Volcanic Isles • Penguin Rookeries & Calderas
Fly-Cruise Hub • Multi-National Stations
Iceberg Highway • Giant Tabular Bergs & Adélie Rookeries
Whale Highway • Humpbacks, Orcas & Protected Bays
Classic Antarctica • Towering Peaks & Wildlife
Kodak Gap • Kilometer-High Glaciated Chasm
IAATO Category 1 (101–200 guests) — full Category 1 site access via two-group shore & Zodiac rotations
Unbroken snow landscapes, massive icebergs, and penguin courtship rituals across freshly opened bays.
Lindblad Expeditions operates dedicated polar expedition voyages to Antarctica with experienced expedition teams.
Nov 2026 – Feb 2029Fares from $15,000
Upcoming Antarctic departures in a similar sailing window and region — tick Compare on any card to compare side by side.
Antarctic Sound
Nov 7, 2026 – Nov 13, 2026 · 6 days
King George Island
Lemaire Channel
Nov 3, 2026 – Nov 15, 2026 · 13 days
Ushuaia
South Georgia
Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 28, 2026 · 23 days
Penguins
The world's largest penguin breeds only in Antarctica's brutal winter. A rare and unforgettable sight.
Penguins
A stocky, orange-billed penguin of the genus Pygoscelis, closest kin to the Adélie and Chinstrap. Its loud, trumpeting call, delivered with head thrown back, carries across the shoreline colonies where expedition landings are made.
Whales & Dolphins
A 14–17 metre baleen whale known for breaching and long pectoral fins, often seen feeding on krill in loose groups along the ice edge.
Whales & Dolphins
Black and white apex predator instantly recognizable by its pale eye patches, the orca is the largest of the dolphins and one of the ocean's most capable hunters. Sightings often involve a tight-knit family pod working the ice edge together.
Everything worth bringing on an Antarctic expedition — an interactive checklist you can tick off as you pack, keep as a personal link and download as a PDF.